Major Gifts Officer – Children’s Cottage Society (CCS)

We are seeking an experienced fundraiser to join our team in a new role as a Major Gifts Officer.
This new position comes at an exciting time in the Children’s Cottage Society’s (CCS) timeline as we prepare to move into a new Centre, expanding our programming and capacity. CCS has a 36-year history of operations in Calgary specializing in prevention and intervention work for children and families experiencing trauma, crisis and homelessness through a matrix of programming providing shelter and supportive programs. With 3 program bases and 9 programs we continue to operate the first crisis nursery in Canada and still 1 of only 3 in Canada, a family homeless shelter, 1 of only 2 in Calgary, and a Family Resource Network. In the past financial year, we supported more than 3,000 individuals and 1,500 families through our 3 sites and 9 programs.

Children’s Cottage Society’s Vision: Resilient children blossom in healthy families.

CCS has good philanthropic support with more than 25% of annual operations ($6.8 million) being funded through donations ($1.7 million). Current revenue streams are as follows:

• Government of Alberta (Children’s Services)
• Donations, fundraising and grants
• Calgary Homeless Foundation
• Brenda Strafford Foundation
• Additional: United Way, Calgary Foundation, FCSS (City of Calgary) and investment income

As we move into our next chapter, we are in a capital campaign to build our new center and focusing on our ability and capacity to increase our annual fundraising. The next step is to introduce a Major Giving portfolio.

CCS works on Blackbaud, Raiser’s Edge NXT and is looking to increasingly engage with this system to drive forward its fundraising. We are looking to increase the public exposure to CCS and grow our donor base. We would like to build off our third-party support with Gift in Kind Donations and fundraising drives, growing support throughout the calendar year.

We are in mid-construction of our new Centre, with a goal to have all construction funds raised by the time doors open in a year’s time ($7.2 million left to raise).
We are seeking someone with a passion for the sector, with experience in this portfolio, a desire to help at-risk children and to help CCS achieve its mission daily.

The Position:

We are hiring for a full-time Major Gifts Officer. The Major Gifts Officer is an integral team member of Children’s Cottage Society’s (CCS) Development and Communications department. Reporting to the Director, Development and Communications, the position works with staff and volunteers to build the Major Giving Portfolio: identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major gifts for CCS’s programs and services with the goals of increasing CCS’s visibility, funding
opportunities and donor retention.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provides leadership while initiating and participating in the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major gifts from individuals and family foundations
• Identifies, researches, and develops community and individual prospects for both annual giving and capital campaigns
• Co-ordinates proposals and other materials for major gift prospects and donors
• Works with the Development team to identify and cultivate major donors in the annual giving stream
• Manages a portfolio of major gift prospects, including maintaining professional and effective working relationships and developing appropriate strategies for result-oriented solicitation
• Builds relationships with community stakeholders to advance the mission and fundraising goals of CCS
• Ensures accurate, current, reliable data is consistently entered in the fundraising database

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree and commitment to lifelong learning
• CFRE certification is considered an asset
• 7 to 10 years of experience as a fund development professional
• Membership with AFP or CAGP
• Outstanding interpersonal skills (high emotional intelligence)
• Team player able to listen, communicate and work with different types of people
• Exceptional writing, editing and proofreading skills
• Critical thinking and analysis abilities required
• Demonstrated effective development and implementation of major gifts cultivation and solicitations
• Demonstrated a successful track record of establishing and maintaining effective and professional relationships with volunteers and donors
• Excellent computer skills and knowledge and experience with donor database operation, preferably Raiser’s Edge and RENXT
• Strong knowledge of Calgary fundraising community
• A Police Information Check, which includes a vulnerable sector search, is required (or is in process of being completed) prior to employment
• A Child Intervention Record Check

Working Conditions: A regular workweek (8:30 – 4:30) is usually required. Evening, weekend, and off-site work may be required as necessary.

The Children’s Cottage Society offers competitive salaries, a comprehensive benefits package and a hybrid work place with flexibility to blend working at home.

Application deadline: Applications to be submitted by March 31^st, 2023

Please send a cover letter and resume quoting competition #FDMar2023 to [email protected]

We appreciate the interest of all applicants however will only contact those invited for an interview.

For more information about the Children’s Cottage, please visit: www.childrenscottage.ab.ca